The 1984 Gordon conference on Chemistry and Biology of Peptides, to be held in Santa Barbara, California on February 5 - 10, 1984, is generally regarded as one of the most important and effective scientific conferences held in this area. It occupies a key position in the dissemination of scientific information in this field. The Gordon Conference alternates with the American Peptide Symposium such that one or the other meeting is held in a given year. The goal of the conference is to bring together scientist active in either the chemistry or the biology of peptides, or researchers active at the interface of these fields, and to foster communication and pursuit of scientific issues at this interface. Scientists from both academic and industrial organizations attend; there is also substantial representation by younger scientists, reflecting the great interest, excitment, and attraction generated by this field in the last several years. Major topics to be presented at this meeting include: hypothalamic hormones, hormone inhibitors, immunologically-active peptides, opiate peptides, the biosynthesis and processing of peptides, antibodies as peptide reagents, synthesis and chemistry of peptides, advances in sequencing of peptides, and drug design and conformation of peptides. Time will also be reserved for presentations by researchers in closely aligned fields such as the neuropeptides and DNA chemical synthesis and sequencing.